23
Nov

Post ER visit update & a little party is in the air

We made it through today’s ER visit in a record 1 hour.  We left with a sedated MRI booked for December, and a follow up visit with the head of pediatric orthopedics to follow.  We are so relieved to know that Samuel’s case is being pursued and feel comfortable with things moving forward.  Thank you for your prayers!

At this point he is mobile and he is making use of his other three limbs to climb and get around.  We’re really thankful to get this MRI as a baseline for his surgery in a few months too.  It’s apparent that God is working things out for his good in the midst of it all.

And as for today….

It’s Grace’s 9th birthday!

I have a pretty red dress wearin’ daughter that is super excited about a few packages that are hidden safely away in our
storage room.

Off to get ready!

8
Nov

Hmmmm, what do we have here?

Found on my iTouch, courtesy of one curious, yet bored little girl.

7
Nov

Hide and Seek

When I can put on my Mama hat and take off my teacher hat, there is something so very cute about how Hide and Seek sounds in this house.

Yes, I said sounds.

As of today (November 7, 2011), Grace has been with us for almost 2 years, Garnet for almost 4 years and Samuel for almost 9 months.

On their own they have cute speech patterns that others discreetly chuckle over sometimes.

Together, they down right make me smile.  And look for my ear plugs…

Grace: Okay.  Now it’s my turn to count.  1-2-3…

Samuel: {loud shrieking giggles fading away as he races to follow Garnet to a good hiding spot}

Garnet: SAMUEL!  (loud huffing sigh)

Grace: Samu-well, come here!  You can’t make so much noise!  (she yells)

Garnet: Wight!  You can’t tell Jie jie where Ge ge is!

Samuel: Oh Tay!

Grace: (goes back to counting)  1-2-3

Samuel: (rather than hiding, begins to count too)  1-2-4-18

Grace: Samu-well!

Samuel: Huh?  Whaaaaaaaaht?

And off they go…

 

 

31
Oct

Happy Halloween!

Halloween 2011

James (15.5) – “Nudist on Strike:

Faith (2 days from 11) – Mime

Grace (3 weeks from 9) – Mermaid

Garnet ( 7 years 1 month) – Clone Trooper

Samuel (3.5) – Lion

With the addition of some face paint and a glitter, it looks like we’re ready to party!

28
Oct

Breaking the Ice & a Sneak Peek…

I woke up super early this morning with the determination that I absoutely needed to post something… ANYTHING… on the blog.  I have missed my little blog world so much!

So in an effort to break the ice, I share with any of you still out there, my beautiful daughter…

 

Isn’t she fabulous!

🙂

 

And for the Sneak Peek…

Take a look at what is taking shape for Samuel over here on The Almy Family Journal.

Makes me get all choked up every s.i.n.g.l.e. time I think about it.

Here’s to a new beginning in blogging…

I hope!

10
Jun

And We Have a Winner!

The winner of my little contest from yesterday was Cydil

I used Random.org to choose our first winner.

First?

Why yes!

Once I chose, I happened to be going through my photos and realized that Kristi was more correct in her guess than I had even realized!   So she wins one too!

Here’s the first photo:

Notice Samuel pointing and Stephen behind him with the girls?

Here’s what happened just prior to that:

Turns out I had forgotten that Samuel wasn’t just chattering and being adorable. 

Nope.

He was tattling. 

And the pair of girls? 

They were sent inside for baths.

But, yes, in answer to your many comments, we do go through an obnoxious amount of {pants}.

God Bless my sister-in-law, Carmen, who has been perusing Value Village in order to keep us well stocked.

Cydil and Kristi, I’ll be e-mailing you both for your addresses.

9
Jun

Another {Pair} Bites the Dust

Let’s play a little game, and win a little prize!

Can anyone spot the one thing in this photo of Samuel, Stephen, Faith & Grace that prompted my post title? 

I’ll hold a little draw for one of the “Picking Them Up With Both Hands” books that I blogged about in this post.  Remember, the book whose proceeds will go towards helping the Rippee family complete their adoption? 

It’s a great little book.  I have one for myself, tucked one away for Samuel to show his kids one day and of course, the grandparents received one too. 

So give a little guess and comment below!

20
May

What’s a guy to do with all these sisters?!

4
May

Just a Moment

For just a moment,

all seemed calm,

quiet,

and I breathed deeply,

in thankfulness.

29
Mar

The Tooth Fairy Cometh

Some of you may remember our little visit from the Chinese Tooth Fairy while we were in Changsha.  Grace had lost her first tooth with us, and there was much rejoicing when she found her Yuan under her pillow the next morning.  She’s saved that Yuan, by the way, and the local branch of the international currency exchange (aka. Mom and Dad) will be called into use soon in order to make sure she has the required Canadian currency with which to puchase her “Barbie Airplane Set” {cue the music}.  She’s been saving for this bad boy for quite awhile now. 

Anyway, after our latest visit to our dentist this past week, we discovered that indeed, not one, but both of our daughters have a mouth full of wiggly teeth.  Stephen made a few comments about needing to take out a loan, while I began altering my mental menu to sustitute apples and corn on the cob for bananas and salad greens. 

Over the past 36 hours two of those wigglers have fallen out – one from each daughter, and tonight I realized that all our talk about the tooth fairy hadn’t entirely sunk in…

Grace: Why didn’t the tooth fairy come yet?

Me: Oh, the tooth fairy must have taken all his change with him to work.

Grace: Okaaaay.  Wait!  His?!  You mean like in the movie?

Me: Ummm.  Remember honey, we talked about the tooth fairy just being a game we play in our family.  Kind of like a silly joke.  If it’s just a family joke, who do you think the tooth fairy really is?

Grace: Dad!  {suddenly bouncing up and down on her bed} Does he have wings?  I bet he gets really small!  Wow! 

Me: Ummm…

Grace: Yeah!  That’s so cool!  Hey Faith?  {Faith is above her in the top bunk.}  Dad has wings!

Faith:{smile} 

Me: Well, um, it’s time for sleep girls.  {So suave – snort.}  Remember girls the tooth fairy game is just for fun!  You’ll have to ask Dad more about it when he gets home, but I doubt he’ll tell you his secrets. 

Me: {thinking: Poor Steve.  Little does he know what I’ve just set him up for.  Sometimes I think my imagination gets the better of him!  Hope he has time to read the blog.  hehe}  Godd night girls!

Grace: My Dad has wings!  My Dad has wings and he shrinks reaaaaaaallly small! 

Me: {quietly shuts door, shaking head}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And in other news?

James learned his first song after his 2nd guitar lesson.  Mucho proud of him.  He whipped out his guitar and asked to go past Grandma’s to show her.  I love that he’s still into his family.  His professed highlight?  The fact that as he was waiting outside with his guitar for me to come pick him up, a whole pack of young ladies were walking by and he was, ahem, noticed.  😉

Grace recently began practicing her first piano song using two hands – Old Mac Donald.  Great job Miss Grace!

Faith cleaned our bathrooms today and for the first time ever I think she has passed my fussiness level.  I’m so delighted!  I love that look of pride on their faces when they have learned to do a job really well and they know it!

Garnet has become very opportunistic.  The second I sit down he literally flies over and plunks donw on my lap.  I’ve missed him too.  He hates it when I say this out loud, but he’s still my baby and I need a good dose of snuggle time with him each day or I feel out of sorts too.  I’m glad he is coming to me when he sees the chance.  Never pushing his little brother out, but certainly not passing up the opportunity for his own turn. 

Samuel is currently heading into night number four in his car bed.  Last night was another full night of rest.  We had some good snuggles today.  He is such a deep soul like his brothers.  I really heart my boys. 

Hey, and I got all 5 kids out for lessons, errands, AND a big grocery shop and made it home alive.  🙂  Moments like these must be celebrated.